A Family of Roses
by blueflower1594
Summary: A collection of one-shots starring Garry and Ib...with their brave, yet troublesome son Garriet, and their adorable, yet tough daughter Isabella!
1. Birth of a Son

**Okay! I've never tried this before…but I think it's time! I will try (TRY) to update this once very week. Some chapters will be longer than others. I just want the record to show now that I am all for OLDER Ib/Garry…young Ib, that's just wrong. **

**These one-shots will have no specific order. I will range from one time period to another. And for those of you reading who are fans of my **_**Invader Zim **_**fic, please be patient with me! College has no shame in giving me essays galore! I only started this collection because I love Ib, I need to keep my creative juices flowing, and the chapters won't be as long as they are in my other fic!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own this game. I would've killed off Ib's parents and made Garry raise her. I also don't own **_**Can't help falling in love with you.**_

* * *

**Birth of a son**

"_Wise men say….only fools rush in….but I can't help...falling in love with you! Take my-_ow!"

Ib winced as she felt a sharp pain in her lower abdomen. She pouted. "C'mon little guy, Mommy's singing isn't _that_ bad!" She only received another kick in response.

"All right! Easy! Geez, who said singing to the baby would help relax it…." Ib muttered before drying another dish. It was a sunny Friday morning, and the brunette was busy trying to get her house straightened up. It wasn't really a mess, but she had to do _something! _Ever since her pregnancy started, her husband hadn't let her lift a finger. It was sweet of him, but he seemed to have forgotten that she was an independent woman. She could handle herself…or at least _feed _herself!

He was constantly watching over her as if she was on house arrest. So, she waited until he was fast asleep from working so hard (and the sleeping tabloids hidden in the drawers had _nothing _to do with) before sneaking down to the kitchen where she allowed herself to do something productive.

Unfortunately, the little guy in her tummy decided to get cranky this morning.

Tears came to her eyes as her baby practically judo-chopped her stomach. "OWWWWW!" Ib screamed, before belatedly covering her mouth.

Oops…

She winced as she heard shuffling come from the bedroom upstairs. Darn it. She quickly resumed drying her dish, knowing that this was going to be the last chore she would get to do before she got put under lock and key again.

"IIIIBBBB!"

"Gaaaaarrrrry.." Ib whispered, trying to mock his overreaction.

She had to contain her sigh as she saw her husband stumble into the kitchen, trying to push his bangs out of his eyes. "I-IB! What happened? What are you doing out of bed?"

"Living?" Ib stated in a pitiful voice.

"I-I heard you scream!" the lavender haired man exclaimed as he rushed over towards his wife. "Are you okay? Is it time? Did your water break? Are you going to faint?" He began holding her by the shoulders. "Do you feel weak? I can carry or you, or haul you over my shoulder! No wait, that would just hurt the-"

"STOP!" Ib finally screeched, placing her hands over her ears. "I'm fine! Honest! The baby just gave me a kick, that's all! Calm down!" She gave him a sharp look, but instantly felt guilty at the hurt look on her husband's face. She shouldn't be so hard on him for worrying about her. Sighing, she cupped his face with her hands. "Listen Gare-bear, I'm fine. I just needed to stretch my legs, so I came down here to do some dishes. No biggie."

Garry gave her a small pout. "I could've carried you…"

She playfully swatted the top of his head before resuming her post by the dishes. Her husband smiled as he joined her by her side. "He sure is a kicker, huh?"

"Yep. He's going to be tough, just like his mama!" Ib smiled, handing him a dish to wash.

"Well, let's not assume things too quickly! He could be gentle, just like me!" Garry huffed despite the smile on his face.

Ib shook her head. "No way. I've had him in my stomach for nine months! I know his strength by heart, there is no way he's going to be as…._soft _as you."

Garry frowned a bit. "Well, perhaps it's for the better. I wouldn't want him to get teased like I did in…well, pretty much my entire life!"

Ib smiled as she playfully slapped her towel against her husband's shoulder. "_I_ don't make fun of you!"

"Yes you do!" Garry exclaimed, his voice cracking a bit. "After eleven years of friendship, two years of dating, and one year of marriage, how can you say otherwise?"

Ib paused, realizing he was right. She _did _have a bad tendency to mock his "femininity". "But…I do it out of love! That's completely different!"

Garry smiled before setting down his dish. He turned to face her with a sly grin. "Why Mrs. Leaner, are you saying you love me?"

Ib struggled to contain her smile as she flipped her hair over her shoulder. "Nope. I'm not saying that."

Garry's smile grew as he leaned in close to his wife. "Really? You don't love your Garry-Chan?"

"No, I can't stand you," she stated before being pulled into her husband's lean arms, and having a kiss planted on her lips.

They continued the embrace before Ib pulled back with a grimace on her face. Garry frowned at this. "I'm not _that _bad of a kisser, am I?"

Ib patted his shoulder. "No, no…it's just our little boy telling us to break it up!"

Garry instantly smiled at those words, and got down on his knees to be next to his wife's stomach. "I can't believe it….nine months and I still can't believe it….we're going to have a _son. _You're going to be a mother….I'm going to be a _father….._I'm going to be a _dad….woah.."_

Ib smiled warmly. This was why she loved her husband. He was so passionate and genuine about everything he did…and that included fatherhood. Telling him about her condition had been one of the sweetest experiences she ever had. She had cooked him a nice dinner, hoping to warm him up to the news. They had never discussed becoming parents (they had only been married for two months at the time!) and she was a little nervous. She didn't fear that he would leave her, no, but she wanted her husband to embrace the thought of fatherhood, just as she had quickly come to warm up to the idea of being a mother.

When she finally told him of her pregnancy, he had reacted in the most Garry-like way….he fainted. After she got him to regain consciousness, she confirmed that _no _he had not been dreaming, and _yes _she was absolutely, positively, 100%, without a doubt, pregnant. Then her husband just sat there for a while, staring off into space. Then, he had slowly placed his hands on his wife's stomach, and smiled at her, letting her know he was on board.

Her happy memories were dashed as she saw the crestfallen look on her husband's face now. She frowned. What was wrong? He was just smiling like an idiot a moment ago. Now he looked like he had committed a horrible deed.

"Garry?" Ib whispered, ruffling his purple locks. "What's wrong?"

Garry turned his sorrowful eyes up towards his wife. Finally he spoke, "What if he doesn't like me?"

At this, the brunette burst out laughing. She helped him to his feet all while trying to subdue her laughter. "Oh Garry! Poor, poor Garry!"

"I'm serious!" Garry whined. "What if he's embarrassed me? What if he wants nothing to do with me because I'm so…"

"Girly?" Ib smirked.

"_Gentle," _Garry stressed. "Today's boys are all about sports and video games, and I'm a painter!"

"You love being an artist!" Ib reminded.

"True…but I love my son more," Garry said, averting his gaze.

Ib couldn't help but smile. Her son wasn't even born yet and his father was already thinking about making a big change for him. Garry was currently an underdog artist, selling many paintings here and there, but not enough to make it to the big league. But Garry loved what he did, and he knew one day he would create a painting so grand it would put him on top. Ib wouldn't be able to bare it if she saw him give that dream up.

She grabbed his hands and said, "Garry, everyone you come in contact with _adores _you. Why wouldn't your own son?"

Garry huffed. "Sure, _women _like me, but what about men? Your father hates me, my brother hates me, heck even _my _father hates me!"

Ib instantly felt sorry for her blue rose. It was true. Garry had no real family. His father was a gangbanger and his older brother pretty much fell into his footsteps. Neither of them were pleased at having the youngest member of the family be the complete opposite. They laughed and jeered at Garry's feminine ways and often slugged him one when they had the chance. But all that was in the past. She and their won was his future.

Ib finally shrugged. "My dad only _dislikes _you because of our age gap and he thinks you only want me for our money. Your family….your family sucks."

Garry laughed aloud at this, loving that his wife was able to say what was on his mind. She really was a smart woman. Sighing softly, he placed his hands on her swollen stomach "I've just never had a true male figure in my life…I don't know what it takes to be a good father…"

Ib smiled. "And yet you did wonderfully when protecting a small girl from a possessed art gallery!" She kissed him softly on the lips before saying, "Just be you. Nothing can go wrong when you're your sweet lovable self!"

Garry smiled lovingly at his wife before shifting his gaze to her stomach. His smile only grew at the sight.

The brunette grabbed his hand. "You know…we still have to name him."

Garry turned his nose up and crossed his arms. "I _still _say we name him Garry Jr.!"

Ib shook her head. "Nooo, I already have one Garry, I don't need another!"

"But I've always wanted a son named Garry Jr.!"

"Since when?"

"Since we found out he was a boy!"

Ib shook her head. "At this rate, maybe we should just name him Reginald…"

"Like that stuck-up artist who always bashes on my work? Ib, how could you?"

"Oh geez…"

* * *

Night eventually came, and the couple quickly went to bed. They were both sound asleep, both caught up in their dreams of art.

Until…

Ib's eyes snapped open. Quickly, she patted her husband on the shoulder, hoping to wake him up. "Garry!" she whispered urgently. "Garry, wake up!"

He didn't move.

She grumbled before deciding to slap him on the shoulder. "Garry!" she said, no longer whispering.

"Hmmmmm?" Garry hummed, his back still to her.

"Garry, I think my water just broke. I'm going to have the baby now."

"Mmmmhhmmmm," Garry mumbled, still pretty much in dream land.

"As in, right now. I'm going to have the baby right now!" Ib urged.

"Yeah, right now….RIGHT NOW?" Realization hit Garry like a ton of bricks as he fell off the bed in shock. He quickly regained his composure and looked at his wife frantically. "A-Are you sure?"

Ib nodded as she began to take shallow breaths. "Yes I am. Can we go to the hospital, please?"

The next few minutes were a blur as Garry quickly rushed them out the door.

* * *

"Alright Mrs. Leaner, just keep pushing when I tell you to.'

Ib had a strained look on her face, but she nodded anyway. "Okay…."

She looked over at her green husband and smiled sympathetically. "Are you okay there tough guy?"

Garry nodded his head. "Don't worry about me! You just focus on bringing the little guy into the world," he said, giving her a cheesy smile.

"Do you need to take a step outside? I know the sight of blood make you queasy…"

"Push!" the doctor ordered.

Ib obliged, but kept her gaze fixed on her husband.

"No way!" Garry announced, taking her hand. "I don't care how upset my stomach gets, I'm not missing the birth of my son!"

Ib gave him a small smile before squeezing his hand in pain. "Ouch…this really hurts!"

"Push!"

"Don't panic Ib, you'll be fine!"

"I'm not panicking."

"Everything is going to be okay!"

"I know."

"J-Just keep breathing, and keep pushing-"

"Garry! I KNOW! JUST HOLD MY HAND!" she screeched.

"R-Right! Sorry!" he said sheepishly, as he allowed her to crush his hand in a death grip.

"One more push ought to do it, ma'am!" the doctor announced after some time.

"The doctor said one more pu-"

"I HEARD, Garry!"

"Sorry…"

Ib struggled with one final push before a small cry suddenly filled the room. The doctor quickly cut the infant free and cleaned him off before wrapping him in a towel and handing him to his mother.

"Congratulations Mr. and Mrs. Leaner, you have a healthy baby son!"

Ib gave a grateful sigh as she was handed her small child. As soon as she got a good look at him, she felt her heart swell with love. He was so beautiful. He seemed to have inherited his mother' darker skin tone, but had definitely received his father's tiny nose. Her son yawned cutely before opening his eyes, which were revealed to be as red as his mother's.

"Look at him!" Ib breathed, giving her son a digit to play with. She looked at her husband, who seemed to be in awe. "Do you want to hold him, Gar?"

Garry seemed to snap out of his daze and slowly nodded his head. Ib smiled while handing him over to the father, enjoying every second of his love struck gaze.

"Hey little guy," Garry smiled, obviously both nervous and overwhelmed at the same time. "We've waited a long time for you to show up, Garry Jr."

Ib gave him a blank stare.

Garry gave her a cute smile before running a finger over his son's tiny nose. "Aw, c'mon Ib! You can't possibly tell me he doesn't look like a Garry Jr.?"

Ib paused before placing a soft kiss on her son's head. "How about Garriet?"

"'Garriet'?" her husband echoed.

The brunette nodded. "It kind of sounds like your name, but it still has some originality to it."

Garry looked down at his son before smiling brightly. "Garriet Leaner. I like it! And if we ever have a daughter, we can name her after you!"

Ib sighed before falling back on her pillow. "I just gave birth and you're already talking about another one? Don't get your hopes up!"

"I-I didn't mean right now! I meant the distant future!" Garry assured her before turning his attention back to his son. _Garriet…my son….I have a SON…ha, if someone had told me over a decade ago that my soul mate was in the form of a nine-year-old girl, I would've called them crazy. I never thought my life could be this perfect. Don't worry little guy…I'll never let anything hurt you. You and your mother are my entire world, and I'll always be there for you two._

Little did he know that his wife was thinking the same thing.

* * *

**Wow, I got the feels just from writing this! Anyway, as I said above, I'll try to update once every week, and some chapters may seem a little short. If you all have any ideas that you want to see happen to the Leaner family, be sure to say so in your review or PM me, and I'll see if I can make it work! **

**AN: I can easily imagine Ib being perfectly calm while in labor, just as she was all cool in the gallery. LOL, of course Garry would be the opposite!**

**Please tell me if you all enjoyed this! R&R!**


	2. Perfect little angel

**AND chapter 2! Thank you so much for the feedback! I really appreciate it!**

**_44mae:_**** I'm really your first? That makes me feel special! You never forget your first fic for a new fandom. I'll be sure to not let you down!**

**_Random Numbers523156_****_: _****I'm glad you like how I made the relationship! BTW, your chapter is next!**

**_DeluxeMagnum69:_****My very first reviewer! Thank you so much for taking the time to read my fic! I'm glad you like the names, they…didn't take me long to come up with. ;) I am still thinking up ways to bring Mary into the story and I have a few ideas. Originally, I was actually going to make this a story about the two kids traveling into the Fabricated World and meeting Mary, but I'm afraid I have no time to make a full-length story. And yeah! Older Ib/Garry all the way!**

**Just so you guys know, although I am jumping through time lines, usually the story will focus on Garriet when he is fifteen and Isabella when she's six. I'll put their ages on every chapter now from here on out so you won't get confused.**

**Garriet: 15**

**Isabella: 6**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Ib. I would've given Garry a background if so! (Seriously, Kori told us NOTHING!)**

* * *

**Perfect little angel**

Garry rubbed his eyes as he listened to the clock tick above his head. He couldn't decide if it was annoying or relaxing. Nevertheless, it helped keep his mind off the situation he was being put through.

He turned his head to find his wife's nose buried in a book. He frowned. Why couldn't _he _be that relaxed? Why was he the only one stressed out here? It was _her _daughter too!

Ib took notice of her husband's anxious features and sighed. "Garry, relax. Everything is going to be okay."

Garry huffed and sat back in his chair. "You can't promise me that."

Ib closed her book before saying, "Garry, for goodness sakes, they're not going to send her to prison! This happens all the time!"

"Not to _my _little girl," he grumbled, keeping his eyes transfixed on the school bulletin board across from him.

"She's cute Garry, but she's still human. She's going to make mistakes," the brunette insisted.

Garry only grumbled some more before shifting his gaze towards the principal's office. "How long are they going to make us stay out here? She must be scared stiff! She's never been called down to the office before."

"I'm sure she'll survive, sweetie," Ib assured him.

As if by cue, the door opened to reveal a sniffling boy being led out by his father. As soon as they departed, a voice called, "Mr. and Mrs. Leaner, will you please come in here?"

Both parents exchanged a look before heading into the office. Simultaneously, both sets of eyes shifted towards the small purple-nette girl sitting on the sofa. Her big blue eyes were fixed on her shoes as she toyed with her fingers. Her pigtails swayed back and forth as she shifted her small body a bit from side to side.

"Isabella," Ib called out, trying to keep the sternness out of her voice.

The little girl's head instantly snapped to see her parents standing before her. "Mommy! Daddy!" she cried, as she rushed to them.

Garry couldn't help but get down on his knees and scoop up his little girl in an embrace. "Hey sweetie! How was your day at school?" he asked her.

"It was good, Daddy!" Isabella smiled.

"Really?" Ib asked uncertainly.

"I'm afraid not," the principle, Mr. Stern, answered. "I'm afraid your daughter got herself in a lot of trouble today."

Isabella frowned before shifting her head onto her father's shoulder, loving the feeling of his hand going up and down her back.

"Well….whatever it was….it couldn't have been _that _bad," the father muttered under his breath.

Ib gave a tiring sigh. She loved her husband more than anything, but if she thought he had tried to spoil their son when he was a baby, he must've been trying to give their daughter the entire world now. She was his pride and joy. Wherever Garry went, Isabella was following him like a little shadow. He believed her to be a quote "gift from the angels", and could never imagine her being anything less than a perfect princess. So you can imagine his heart break and shock when he got a call saying his daughter was called to the principal's office.

Ib loved her daughter too of course, but she wasn't struck with the "Daddy's Little Girl" syndrome, so she was able to realize that her daughter was capable of making mistakes. Now the trick was convincing her husband that.

"I'm afraid your daughter did something very serious, actually," Mr. Stern said solemnly.

"What? Did she not share her blocks?"

"Garry, let the man speak."

"Unfortunately, your daughter got into a fight today."

"WHAT?" both parents cried out. It was hard to determine which guardian was more shocked. Ib knew her daughter had done something wrong, but she was thinking along the lines of not sharing toys or not taking a nap. Her daughter had been in a _fight?_

Her husband, however, was not thinking about the trouble his child was in. "Well, why didn't you say that when we first walked in?" he bellowed. He quickly sat his daughter down and did a quick check of her body. "Honey, are you okay? How bad did they hit you? Do you have any owies? Do you need Mommy or Daddy to kiss it better?"

"You daughter didn't get hit. We broke up the fight the minute she threw a punch at the other child," Mr. Stern informed them.

Ib turned and gave her child a stern look. "Isabella Leaner, what were you thinking?"

"But Mommy, they called me a name!" Isabella whined.

"It doesn't matter what they called you, that doesn't give you the right to hit them!" Ib told her.

"What did they call you?" Garry asked softly.

The little girl turned her gaze towards her father. "They called me purple head!"

Ib took a deep breath and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Isabella, your hair _is _purple."

"But he said it meanly!" the little girl pouted.

The brunette's eyes snapped open. "'He'? Wait, you fought a _boy_?"

"Gave him a bloody nose, she did," Mr. Stern informed her.

Ib buried her face in her hands at the news. "Oh my…" She was obviously distressed.

Garry, on the other hand, couldn't help but feel a surge of pride knowing his little girl took out a guy. "Wow, you beat up a _bo_y, sweetie? Ho-" He stopped his compliment from proceeding at the stern look his wife was giving him. "Hooooooww…..unpractical. There is no need to be so irrational with your actions!"

Ib sighed before turning to face the principle. "What's her punishment?"

"Since this is her first time breaking the rules, we're going to settle with taking her free time away for a week." Mr. Stern straightened his tie. "Of course, that's just the school punishment. You must deal with the wrath of the parents on your own."

Ib nodded solemnly at his words. "Yes, we understand sir." She turned her head towards her family. "Come on kids!"

* * *

The ride back home was a tense one. Well, at least between the parents. Little Isabella still didn't understand what she did wrong, so she was truly just happy to be with her parents.

However Ib and even Garry knew this could not go unpunished. They both knew they had to discipline their child, not for doing something trivial like throwing her peas, but for _harming _another human being. One parent was more accepting of what had to be done than the other.

"Yeaaah! It's so good to be home!" Isabella cheered once she ran into the house. "I wonder when Garriet is coming home? I hope he-"

"Hold it right there, missy!" Ib called to her daughter. A frown planted on her face, the brunette pointed towards the couch. "Sit."

Isabella obliged, her happy mood quickly sinking. Her eyes refused to meet her mother's as she prepared for her scolding.

"It was wrong, Isabella. It was wrong of you to lay your hands on another classmate! Mommy and Daddy may be in big trouble with the parents now!"

"I know…"Isabella mumbled.

"No, you don't know, otherwise you wouldn't have done what you did!" Ib scolded. She sighed and knelt down so she was eye level with her daughter. "Honey, we can't let this go unpunished."

"But Mommy…" the little girl pouted.

"No buts!" Ib warned her. She turned to her husband. No way was she doing this alone. "Talk to her!"

Garry looked startled by the sudden request. Clearing his throat, he nervously scratched the back of his neck. "Uh…."

"Garry," Ib deadpanned.

"Well….how do we know she wasn't framed?"

"GARRY!"

"Okay, okay." Garry joined his wife on his knees, and did his best to keep himself from reaching for his daughter. Sure, Isabella had been in trouble in the past, but Garry usually had no part in punishing the small child. He usually let his wife do the disciplining, and while he admits that wasn't really fair, he couldn't help himself. Isabella was….well, she was a perfect little angel! He couldn't bear to see his little angel cry.

"Now Isabella," Garry started.

"I'm sorry, Daddy! I know I was bad-"

"Oh, you could never be 'bad', sweetie!" he was quick to interject, causing his wife to face-palm.

"It's just that…the boy was being mean to me, and he was making all his friends laugh at me!" Isabella told him, obviously getting upset just by talking about it. "They were all calling me names like 'purple head' and 'grape head'! It hurt my feelings!"

Garry was quiet for a minute before turning his head to look at his wife. "Well…if he was harassing her the way she claims he was-"

"Don't even think about it, Kevin!" Ib warned him, narrowing her deep red eyes at him.

Garry frowned. She always called him by a random name when she was really peeved with him. He didn't understand it, and he certainly didn't like being called by _other _men's names. Shaking his head, he turned back to daughter.

"Well Izzy, I understand that your feelings were hurt, but we can't just let this go."

"I'm sorry," Isabella whined. "I'll never do it again!"

Garry turned to his wife. "Well, there you go!"

"_Garry," _Ib stressed.

The purple haired man groaned before turning back to his daughter. "Isabella…." He stopped once he noticed the tears forming in his little girl's eyes. _Oh no…no crying, no crying….I can't stand seeing her sad!_

"Isabella…" he tried again. He tried to think up a punishment for his daughter, but all he could think of doing was holding her and consoling her. He sighed as the little girl continued to sniffle. He couldn't do it. Maybe it made him weak, but it was true. "Just…go upstairs. Your mother and I will discuss it."

Isabella quickly nodded and ran as fast as she could to her room. Garry didn't have the guts to look his wife in the eye.

He finally had no choice when his wife rose to her feet and growled, "Garry!"

"Yes, my beautiful, intelligent, red rose?" Garry smiled as he rose to his own feet.

His wife wasn't amused. "What was that?"

The man pouted a little. "Me being weak."

"Well, as long as you know."

"I can't help it Ib! You know I can't stand seeing her unhappy! Besides, how do we know the boy didn't touch her first? If he was touching her when she didn't want to be touched, she had every right to react the way she did!"

Surprisingly, Ib didn't scold her husband for trying cover up for their daughter. Instead, she allowed a soft smile to grace her features before wrapping her arms around her husband's waist. She leaned her head on the man's chest and whispered, "Ah Garry…"

Slowly but surely, Garry returned the embrace. "Um…does that mean you agree? Did I win?"

Ib shook her head. "You really are an old softie, aren't you?"

Garry groaned. "I'm not _that _old…."

"Honey, you're forty-eight," she teased.

The man growled. "I thought we agreed that I'm going to be forty-something for the rest of my life! And what does my old age have to do with anything?"

Ib lazily played with the buttons on his shirt. "I just find it interesting how you've only gotten softer over the years. I mean, you were a sweetheart to begin with, but you're just made of taffy now, aren't you? Having children really buttered you up, huh?"

Garry shrugged before resting his head upon hers. "I'm not so sure. Maybe I was always like this. I seem to recall a certain nine-year-old girl I couldn't bring myself to get angry with either."

Ib giggled before saying, "I know. Imagine my surprise when you blew up at me when I was sixteen."

"I didn't 'blow up' at you, I firmly scolded you. I just couldn't believe you decided to date a man who had more piercings than he did skin!"

"Whatever, you were just jealous."

"No, I was concerned for you well-being," he huffed. "Had you walked in with a dashing prince charming, _then _I would've been consumed by jealousy."

Ib smiled before pulling away. "I wish I could see that."

"Don't even try it," Garry warned with a smile. "Now, going back to the subject at hand, what are we going to do about Isabella?"

Ib sighed before rubbing her temples. Then she quickly cupped her husband's face in her hands. "I'll handle it for now….but you need to pull up your breeches mister, and realize that you are spoiling this child rotten!"

Garry opened his mouth to respond, but was instantly cut off by his cell phone ringing. He mouthed to his wife 'one second', before flipping open his cell. "Yellow?" he answered cheerfully. He paused for several seconds, intently listening to whoever it was on the other end. Soon, his smile disappeared, only to be replaced by a dark frown. He let out a heavy breath. "Okay….we'll be there." With that, he hung up.

Ib frowned. "What's wrong, Gar?"

"Looks like I get to practice the art of discipline," he deadpanned. "Garriet just got called down to the office."

Ib's brain stopped working for approximately five seconds. "W-WHAT? Are you kidding me? Both of our kids on the same DAY?"

"Same _afternoon," _Garry stressed, rubbing his eyes. He remained silent, for he had nothing to add.

Ib sighed before grabbing her car keys. "You get Isabella; I'll get the car started."

Garry nodded before making his way upstairs. He paused halfway and said, "I hope you realize that they get this from _your _side of the family!"

"Says the drug dealer's son!" Ib quickly chided without thinking.

Garry frowned before proceeding up the stairs. _These kids BETTER not wind up like their grandfather, _he thought to himself, _or there'll be no more Mr. Nice Guy!_

* * *

**Yes, I know it was weird going from Garriet's birth to Isabella in trouble. However, the boy isn't the only main character in this story, so I needed to do a chapter that focused his sister. I knew I couldn't do another pregnant chapter, for that would just be repetitive and unneeded. Next chapter will have both kids at the same time, and basically how the family of four operates.**

**AN: I'm bumping the rating up to T because I mentioned drugs. :P**

**Review and leave ideas! Until next time!**


	3. A True Man

**This one is for you, Random! And thanks again for being such a good pal to me! In this chapter, we finally get to see both kids in action, as well as some interaction with Garry's family. Nothing more to say, I hope you all enjoy it!**

**AN: Sorry this is late. I've had work :/**

**Garriet: 15**

**Isabella: 6**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

* * *

** A True Man**

"Okay….so we got milk….eggs….butter….whatever the heck Ib uses to 'freshen up' her face….anything else?" the purple-haired man declared.

"You don't even know what make-up I use?" Ib chided, grabbing a carton of eggs and placing them in the cart.

Garry rolled his eyes. "Honey, I may lack many masculine traits, but that does not make me the same gender as you."

"Could've fooled me," a voice muttered behind him.

The man's face instantly deadpanned, before turning his head towards his son. "I'm sorry, what was that?"

"Nothing," Garriet muttered before moving on ahead to join his mother. "So, does anyone know where the kid went?"

"If you are referring to your sister, she should be just up ahead," Garry informed him, taking another glance at the list.

"You know, I don't know why you bothered bringing a list. I could've easily memorized everything we needed," the young boy said.

Ib giggled at this. "Yeah, good luck memorizing all the different paints your father requires for his work!"

Garriet shrugged. "Red, blue, yellow, green, and orange right?"

"Son, there are many different colors that go in between the standards! There's lime green, forest green, royal blue…"

His son groaned as his father recited all the colors he knew. He loved his dad and all…but why did he have to be such a _girl_? It was humiliating. While his friends talked about their fathers being policemen, construction workers, or pilots, he had to hide the fact that _his _dad was a wussy painter. He'd never live it down if they ever found out his mother was more of man than his father was.

"Dad, to a guy, there are four colors in existence, and nothing in between," the brunette boy grumbled.

Garry ceased his ranting and crossed his arms with a huff. "Well, that just shows how uncreative this generation is."

"You can be creative in more…._dignified _ways, you know," the boy mumbled.

Garry frowned. "Oh, you mean with that spray painting you enjoy doing so much?"

"Okay! I can see where this is going, let's go look at the cereal!" Ib quickly rushed in. She hated being in the middle of her husband and son's 'what makes a man' arguments.

"Mommy! Mommy!" a little voice cried from around the corner. The small purple-nette girl ran up to her mother with a big cereal box in hand. "Mommy! Can we get this one?"

Ib took the box from her daughter and cringed at the sight of the cover. "Oh wow….it's…"

"Franken-body!" Isabella smiled. "The cereal is the Frankenstein's body, and the marshmallows are the brains!"

The mother held back her bile as she handed the girl back the box. "Why don't you pick something a little more…nicer?"

Isabella pouted. "But I want to eat brains!"

Ib's left eye twitched. She covered her face with her hands. "Honey…little ladies shouldn't say things like that."

Garry decided to help out his red rose by kneeling down beside his daughter. "Say Princess, why don't we get this cereal on Halloween, huh? For now, let's get that cereal with the cute pony on it?"

Isabella pouted a bit, but nodded her head. "All right Daddy, I'll put it away," she said while doing so.

Garry smiled. "That's a good girl." He rose to his full height and pulled his wife in a hug, who looked a little green in the face. "Penny for your thoughts?"

Ib shook her head. "I just wonder where she gets her outrageous behavior from."

"Probably from her Uncle Ganther!"

Both parents instantly froze at the sound of the familiar voice. Without turning his head, Garry shifted his eyes to get a good luck at the man. Just as he thought, one of his two worst nightmares was standing at the end of the aisle.

Ib felt her husband tense up. She bit her lower lip, wondering how she could help her husband out of the situation. "Garry?"

"Ib, gather up the kids and let's go," the man said in a hushed tone.

"But honey, he can see us."

"Don't make eye contact with him!"

"Garry, I can see you bro. Don't try to run!" the silver haired man laughed.

The younger man groaned before turning to face his older brother. His silver hair was swept back over the right side of his face, but not enough to cover up his eye. He wore a grey tank top and had the same blue eyes as his younger brother. He had a confident smirk on his face and had his arms crossed over his chest. He definitely looked like a laid back, relaxed man, but Garry knew he was anything but.

"What do you want, Ganther?" Garry huffed. "I don't have any money to loan you."

"You don't own this store little lady," Ganther said, using the nickname he knew the other man couldn't stand. "I was shopping just like you, and then I happened to see you and your little family."

"You don't shop. You steal," the lavender-haired man growled.

Ganther shrugged. "Everyone is different, I always say." He then shifted his gaze towards Ib. "Hey sis, how are you doing?"

Ib, although not very fond of her brother-in-law, didn't want to be rude, so she lightly gave him a handshake. "Nice to see you again, Ganther," she lied.

The older man gave a haughty laugh. "C'mon Ib, we're family! No need to let your fancy pants show!" He then pulled her into a bear hug, much to the anger of his brother.

Ib cringed as she was embraced by the silver-haired man. She quickly pulled away the second she got, not enjoying being touched by him in the slightest. "Yes well….yeah."

Garry quickly wrapped a protective arm around his wife's shoulders. "Well it was nice to see you, now would you please-"

"Geez Garriet!" Ganther exclaimed, patting his nephew on his shoulder. "Man, you're getting big! Turning out to be a real man, huh?"

Garriet frowned and shrugged his uncle 's hand off. "Yeah, sure. Nice to see you." The boy didn't get to see his uncle often, and he was grateful. The very few times he did see Ganther, he always found a way to tick the younger boy off. For one, he was constantly flirting with his mom. He never tried to hide it, and it bugged the crap out of him. Second, he didn't appreciate the way he spoke to his father. Yes, he was more 'manly' than his father, but he always insulted, berated and, if his stories were true, abused his father he was a kid. Garriet could hold no respect a man like that.

Ganther got down on his knees so he was eye level with his niece. "And hey little Izzy! How are you doing?"

Isabella hid her face in her mother's skirt. "Only Daddy calls me that…" she said, her voice a little muffled.

Ganther shrugged and rose to meet his brother. "So, how's your finger painting going?"

Garry huffed. "My _art _is just fine. I just put up a new painting for sale. How is _your_ business coming along?"

Ganther chuckled. "You mean how am I doing with my dope?"

Garry instantly tensed and grumbled under his breath.

"Mommy, what's 'dope'?" Isabella asked.

"It's a horrible substance that kills you in due time," Ib frowned, hating the man for saying such things in front of her daughter.

"What? He asked," Ganther smirked. "It's been going great, actually. Sure as heck pays more than painting or writing."

Garry crossed his arms over his chest. "Ib and I are bringing art into the world. It's a much more meaningful job that killing people with illegal substances."

Ganther smiled and pinched his younger brother's cheek. "Whatever make you feel better about yourself, bro."

Garry swatted his hand away. "Whatever, how's Dad doing? Has he killed himself with the drugs yet?"

"Nope, he's still alive and kicking! You should go visit him sometime," the silver-haired man stated.

"Dad said if I ever go within three feet of him again, he's throw me in the bottom of the ocean," Garry huffed.

"And you took that to heart? Don't be such so sensitive!"

"Dad, isn't there some place we need to be?" Garriet tried to help.

"Yes!" Garry quickly exclaimed. "We have that…thing at the…yeah, we must be on our way! Toodles brother!"

"'Toodles'? Gosh, can you _be _any more of a girl?" Ganther sighed, rubbing his eyes a bit.

Ib frowned at the man. "I don't appreciate you using the term 'girl' as an insult."

"Oh, you're not a girl Ib," Ganther smiled, giving her a sly  
smile. "You're a _woman._"

Garry counted to ten in his head. In truth, with the insults towards his personality and constant flirting towards his wife, he really wanted to go off on his brother. He had definitely lost it with him in the past, and it usually ended with his older brother trying to make his nose bleed….and Ib threatening to call the cops. He definitely didn't want that to happen in the store….not to in front of his children. He had to stick with his happy, cheerful self.

"Why don't you keep your eyes in your sockets, Gather?" Garriet growled, not liking his uncle any more than his father.

Ganther finally lost his sly smile. "Sorry kid. Just want your mom to know that a _real _man is waiting for her when she finally leaves your father."

Garry clenched his fists and struggled not to grit his teeth. No…he couldn't lose it in front of his children. He didn't want to give a poor example to his son….he didn't want to scare his little girl….Luckily he was able to relax a bit when his wife gently grasped his hand.

"'A real man'? You mean like you?" Garriet frowned.

Ganther swept back his bangs with a swift hand gesture. "Well, no offence, but I think it's clear that I live up to my gender more than your old man."

"Well, I won't argue with you there."

"Whose side are you on?" Garry wailed, hurt by his son's betrayal.

"But at least _he _actually knows how to treat a lady!" the boy finished. "He's married to a beautiful, rich young woman. What about you, tough guy?"

Ganther glared at the boy. "Why don't you keep your trap shut, kid? From what I can see, you're not that successful with women either."

Garry sneered. "Don't talk to my son like that."

The older brother leaned into the younger one. "What are you going to do about it? Are you going to let me knock you out again?"

Ib stepped in front of her husband. "Keep it up, and I'll knock you out myself!" she told Ganther.

"Guys, I can defend myself!" Garriet grumbled, not wanting his parents to fight his battles for him.

Slowly Ganther's frown turned back into a smile. "Why do we always have to be so nasty to one another? Why can't we all just get along like a normal family? I mean, if I didn't know any better, I would say you were holding a grudge against me, Garry."

Garry took a few deep breaths. He couldn't let his brother make him behave immaturely. He had to be the bigger man for the sake of his kids. However, he could feel himself begin to slowly lose control. "Well, it _could _have something to do with the way you treated me as a kid….in fact, not even as a kid. You _still _treat me poorly!"

Ganther instantly glared. "What, are you going to cry about it? Just like you did every time you got a _little _roughed up?"

"Ganther…" the younger boy hissed.

"Sometimes I wonder if you did that just to get Mom's attention. You obviously got your wimpy personality from her!"

Garry bit his tongue. "Ganther….shut it."

"Whatever. Go ahead and cry! Make yourself look like a fool in front of your family! Show them how much of a _woman _you are!"

The lavender-haired man was far from crying (he had grown up considerably over the years), but he was only a breath away from either releasing a string of curses at his sibling, or worse, going for his throat. "Ganther, you need to-"

"Stop being so mean to my Daddy!" a little voice screeched before the silver-haired man kneeled over in pain.

"Isabella!" Ib gasped, not believing that her daughter had actually kicked the man in the shin. Sure he deserved it, but….oh no…

Isabella continued her assault by stomping on her uncle's foot. "You're a meanie! My Daddy is really, really tough!"

Ganther shook the pain off before glaring down at the little girl. Snarling, he raised his hand and screamed, "You little brat!" He was about to strike the child full-blow on the cheek before he was suddenly grabbed around the throat by a slender hand. Looking back, he stared into the eyes of one ticked off lavender-haired man.

Garry leaned in close to him brother's face. "Let me make something clear. I never 'invite you over' because I'm trying to get _away _from you and that maniac we call a father. Unfortunately, being related causes us to find no way out of being near each other every once in a while. I'm a patient man, so I'm willing to put up with that. However, if you ever even _dream _about treating my children the way you treated me as a kid, I'm going to give you a taste of your own medicine!" He then pushed his brother out of his pathway, and motioned for his family to follow.

Ganther watched in a daze as the family of four made their way to the front of the store. He didn't know what to think at this point, having not expected to see his little brother threaten him in such a way. While pondering, he felt the wind get knocked out of him by his sister-in-law's elbow meeting his stomach.

"He won't be alone," she hissed, before catching up with her family.

* * *

"Dad, you should've beaten him up!" Garriet frowned as he put the milk in the trunk of the car.

"Violence is never the answer son," Garry said.

"He was going to hit Isabella!" the younger boy stressed.

"I stopped him, didn't I?"

"I should've done something. He can't get away with this!" Garriet stressed.

"Honey, just please get in the car," Ib asked, wanting to talk with her husband alone.

The boy huffed, but helped his sister in the car before joining her.

Ib then turned to her husband with sad eyes. "Are you okay?"

Garry sighed and shook his head. He leaned forward on the trunk of the car. "I don't know what to do about them."

"Who? Our kids or your family?" Ib half-joked.

Garry ran a tired hand through his hair. "I don't understand what my brother wants from me. He obviously doesn't care for me or the family I've started, so why does he insist on showing me his face?"

Ib sighed and rubbed her husband's arm. "Honey…I know your brother brings back painful memories….and I know with your father it's even worse. But I'm proud of you. I know you don't like to get in fights, but the fact that you would endure a beating from your brother to protect your loved ones…it's really sexy!"

Garry snorted in surprise at his wife's statement. He smiled at her and said, "Although I should be offended that you believe I have no chance of winning against Ganther in a fist fight, I'm more offended by the fact that you think I would ever let that idiot touch my daughter."

Ib smiled and wrapped her arms around her husband's slim waist. "I never thought that for a second." She gave him a soft kiss on the cheek and whispered , "Don't ever let him change you, Garry. You're better than him, both in heart and mind."

"Are you two done back there?" a male voice said from the back of the car. "At least put on some music so I don't have to hear it!"

Both parents rolled their eyes at their son's comment. Ib rubbed her nose against her husband's before heading into the car. All the while, she couldn't help but think of how much of man her husband truly was. Sure, he was a little feminine most of the time, and sure, he played no part in killing cockroaches that popped up here and there, but he would always do what's best for her and their children, even if it meant dealing with his horrible brother.

Poor Ganther had no idea that he was hiding in his brother's shadow when it came to be being a true man.

* * *

**WOW! This was hard to write! I'm sorry if this didn't turn out the way you wanted it to, Random. L I'm sorry to my audience if it didn't make a lick of sense! It just didn't run smoothly and I hit writer's block every page!**

**Please R&R! I think this one definitely deserves some feedback! (Don't flame me, please!)**


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